Today I will not introduce parts of body parts as a topic of conversation.( Nope can not say the T word today)Today I will not repeat myself. (That is a hard oneToday I am not going to show cleavage. (To easy to do)

I am not accepting the word "senior citizen' today ( no I won't ask for the senior discount even)

I am going to sing out loud today ( Why didn't I think of that before, nobody here but Marty and the dog, and she is outside and Marty will join me,lol)

I am not going to apologize for my memory lapses. ( Marty and I both Have CRS any way)

I am not going to tolerate bigots. ( Just thought I would throw that in for fun)

I am not going to get even. (That's God's job, I have enough to do."

I will not hold back the tears. ( I have extra mascara and handi wipes)

I am not going to put on a happy face if I don't want to. ( I'm going to practice wry disbelief, undisguised disgust, and righteous indignation)

I am not going to write down anything that can't be read out loud in court. ( The whole world reads what I run my mouth about any way)

I will not be defined by the company I keep.( Even birds of a feather don't flock together. Why should we?)

I am not going to even try to bargain with God (He keeps records)

I am not going to walk for the exercise ( But for the joy of Gods green earth)

I won't share my grandkids graciously. ( They are my grandkids and I want them now. The other grandparents can have them when they start driving me crazy...then out they go)

I won't search for past lives. ( This one is already more then I can handle, thank you very much)

And lastly I will not allow worry or despair mist over gratitude ( I will just look out the window and be thankful for this beautiful day) I hope you all have a beautiful uneventful calm Coffee Break today.

This has been a very long working month for many of you who share information and try to get the word out. I am so glad so many of you will be taking a short Coffee Break with me today. For tomorrow we get out there and get back to work. harder then ever. I have said it before and will say it again. One voice may not be heard...but all of us joining together can be and are being heard around the world. Check out the flags we have received here and how many visits in a few short weeks. I had to redo the counter twice. So there has actually been over 4,000 visits this past 3 weeks. That is awsome. Shows me we not only need to work at getting the info out there we also need a much needed Coffee Break. So, no serious stuff today. A big HUG to all of you!!!" Heaven is a big hug that last forever"

I have heard it many times over the years that my Thyroid Disease is an invisible disease because we don't look sick. Family and friends have even told me "You don't look sick". Really? So what does "Look sick" look like???? I don't look sick yet you tell me things like "Man, you are getting skinny." " What have you been eating, your gaining a lot of weight lately""What is wrong with your eyes?""Did you know your hair is getting thin??" Dahhhhhhh"What are you so upset about?'"You just don't exercise enough!""Are you on drugs?""I think you are drinking too much!""What is wrong with your skin, use some lotion."" Aren't you watching your diet?""Your just getting to be an old grouch!""Your just a hypochondriac!"..Hypo yes chondriac....NO!" You need to see a shrink.""Why are you always shaking?""Your just feeling sorry for yourself!""Put some make up on girl!'"You look like H---!"" Get a life, already!"... Like I am not trying too!!!"Your just lazy, always sleeping!""You just don't want to go to work.""Too lazy to drive, huh?""Getting another face lift? It is not helping."" You make your poor husband do everything for you, spoiled.""Your sweating like a pig.""Your getting paranoid about everything lately.""So you have Graves' Disease, it is not the end of the world." .....It is to mine." Come on it can't be that bad.""YES IT IS THAT BAD!!!!!!!!" From those that know.

And these statements coming from family and friends(?) I have more and I be you all do to.

I hear this everyday. This disease just catch's us off guard. We are living our life then...BAMMMMMM. Like we got hit with a Mac truck. We get thrown up in the air and tossed to the side in a mess. What the H__ just happened???? You just got hit with a Thyroid Disease. Maybe Graves', maybe your now Hyper, maybe your now Hypo, maybe you now have Thyroid Eye Disease or maybe the worse thing....maybe you now have Thyroid Cancer.Now what?? You know something is wrong, you go to the Doctor and maybe he get's it right away...maybe not. Don't count on it. Some Doctors do not get it or catch on right away. Why not, well who knows? All you can do is insist on test, insist on the doctor working with you on this to give you some answers. Insist on them telling you what to expect. And if they can't or will not tell you. Well fire them and find another doctor. Yes , you can find a another doctor to give you some answers. There are some fantastic doctors out there that do everything they can to help you .. then there are some with their hand on the door ready to run out. I have had both. I am not an expert on what is best to do. But, I do know we have a right to know. No matter where you are in this world...you have a right to know what is happening to you and how you can feel better. I have found that I am less stressful when I can say .."Oh , I never knew that.. that is why I....." or I ca say " i never knew that was why I felt that way." or "So, I am NOT out of my mind.. others have been where I am now." Great grandmother Lita, and her two sisters had some form of Thryoid Disease. I remember them. My grandmother lived with us after my Great grandfather died. He was always so patient with her. She seemed so mean and always frowning. The only time she was at peace was sitting under the tree with my grandfather holding her hand. I use to wonder why he was nice to her. She didn't treat me mean but tried to avoid me and my older brother. Yet she smiled and kissed my younger baby bother all the time....Why was that??? And now after much research into family and Thyroid Disease I am starting to understand. Now I am my Great Grandmother, now I KNOW what she went through. " I am my great grandmother!" I may have been a child then but over the years older family members have told me stories about her and the other two sisters. Many resented her or avoided her and her sisters. Even with a dowry their father had a hard time getting them married off. Agapita had a small goiter, Candelaria was blind and my Great grandmother Angelita was just starting with her Thyroid condition and was married to her sister's husbands poor nephew who was. He was 36 she was 21. That was old to be getting married in 1889. She was already getting the goiter. They were a well known family here in Trinidad. So there was a lot of talk about them. The first of the Baca's that settled here was a cattle rancher and the house is actually is now a museum

Wow!! You got up this morning, you feel great, you look in the mirror when not so good looking, smell of sleep, you have bad breath, your hair is a mess. Wow, you say,wow again. You wrap your arms around yourself, you hug yourself real tight and say, "I'm The Man!", I can do anything, because "I'm The Man!". Wow, check you out. You clean up, dress, , you feed yourself, you feel so good. Your successful or your working on being successful. You strut, you stand tall, you look around, tell everybody, "I'm The Man!"In all that, you do, you do well, but you need a partner. Someone to share in your success. You strut some more like a big colorful "Cock" in the yard. You strut around the yard, you have all the hens looking , wanting, and you take it as you wish, until you strut and turn, you see, there, wow. Oh Lord, Lord, you see, there she is standing looking so fine, with all her fineness. She looks so good. You just have to have that one. So you take her for your own. You make the commitment, the obligation. You take all the responsibility to take care of the prize that is so fine. At this time in your life, you don't really understand what the commitment, obligation and responsibility really means. Because your only thinking what this fine prize will do for your future, your success. You take her on your arm so all can see. It is important to your success, to have such a fine prize, so together you do many things. You become known, become important. She does so much. And so much that your prize does , helps you, makes you more successful. Together you have your greatest accomplishments. Two of the greatest creations, a boy and a girl. Your happy. You strut, "I'm The Man!". Your life is good, so good that you don't see the changes, that are sneaking up on you for some time. Your prize that is so fine is changing. She is not so fine any more. She is not doing many things she did bebore, because she can't. You don't understand, you don't take time to find the reason for the changes.You know that an enemy has invaded your life. You don't try to find who or what this enemy is, so you may be able to combat it. The same way you would when an enemy invades the states. You can't deal with it, you don't try, you turn away and "Leave". Your greatest accomplishments are left devastated, your fine prize, who is devastated by the invasion of the unknown enemy is now destroyed. Wow!!! Your The Man!". Of course this has happened many times. But, then you turn around and tell your fine prize and your greatest accomplishments, "Don't worry, I'll find out why this is happening, who and what this enemy is that has invaded my life. You tell your fine prize "Hang in there Babe, we will fine a way to pull and keep together. Because "I Am The Man!" Yeah! Yeah!....and you strutLiving with Graves' Disease is not FUN! Marty

NOTE: Another guest Blog from my husband. Some may be offended by it , some may smile and know this person. This is his way of doing a wake up call. He is not afraid to put himself on the firing line. There are men that will not like how he put this. As he has made a speech like this before. Your input is appreciated.

Busy morning today. So much input. A great phone conversation with Wilma from the Stevie JoEllie's Cancer Care Fund. An encouraging email from Dear Thyroid, Ireland and Australia. I recently got an email from Dr. Chistopher Thiagarajah who was one of my Ophthalmology Surgeons along with Dr. Popham. Chris and I are on first name bases and still gives me advice after all these years He is now up around NJ I think. Thank you all for taking the time for me. I have received some beautiful notes of Thank you. I just want o take a moment to Thank all of you. I could not and would not do this with out all of you. I have been told before that I need to get Therapy. Some of you have been told the same. Some Doctors think we are suicidal as Mad Mary told me. No thank you I don't need therapy, I have you all. You are my therapy. You are the ones who keep me going and make me feel better. You are the ones that make me smile when you tell me about your GD Coffee Breaks. You make me cry with happiness for you...but that is a good cry, don't you think?As for suicidal. Well, No thank you....Maybe some of us do feel that way sometimes. Maybe we sometimes feel a little crazy or that we are going crazy. As for me, I may not be suicidal, but I sure would like to wring the neck of Mad Mary's Doctor who told her the reason some doctors don't give us info is we have a tendency to be suicidal. Some of these Doctors might be the ones' making you suicidal. I am not bashing Doctors. But, like anything else there are good ones, bad ones, some in between. There are good doctors that just may not have all the info that is needed to treat us. When you want a good mechanic you ask around. And even though that mechanic does a wonderful job for your friend, you might not like their work. Or maybe you just don't click. Maybe they just don't have the tools they need to take care of your car right. Maybe they cost too much. What ever the case maybe. You are paying for a service and you want the best service you can get for the money. It does not matter if you are paying out of pocket or you have insurance. Many of us don't have insurance, so we need to get the best we can for the money we have. As the commercial goes " It's my money...I want it now". Well, it's my money ... and I want good service"I leave you with this " Start each day with a smile, and get it over with." WC Fields

NOTE: Marty's is on a roll..... Tomorrow part II "Living with Graves' "

I tell myself that because when I do look in the mirror..I do not know that women looking back at me. Those are not my eyes, that is not my hair, it sure is not my face or body. Why are my eyes so funny looking? why is my hair falling out? Why am I so fat? Why don't my friends and family recognize me any more? Why do people look at me funny?Oh yes, I know I have Graves' Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease. When I was first diagnosed nobody told me my appearance would change so much. Nobody told me my hair would fall out? Nobody told me I would get skinny being Hyper and then get fat going Hypo. Nobody told me my laughing face would turn into a sad worried face. Nobody told me I would age so fast. That I would be so tired and sleep so much. That I would forget so much of my life, names and places. Nobody told me I would walk with a cane at 55. Nobody told me I would qualify for Big print books for the blind. Nobody told me I would qualify for Disability by the time I was 55. Nobody told me my doctor would recommend me to a mental specialist for depression. Nobody told me my skin would get so dry and my nails so brittle that I can't keep them long any more. Nobody told me friends and family would actually believe I was taking drugs to get high or drinking too much. Nobody told me I would fall down for no reason. Nobody told me my joints would hurt so bad. Nobody told me I would need so many eye surgeries. Nobody told me I would not have the energy to walk down the block. Nobody told me I would not be able to drive at 52. Nobody told me I would not be able to leave my house because of how I felt. Nobody told me people would think I wasn't really sick, when I was going through hell. Why didn't anybody tell me what to expect? Why didn't I ever hear about Graves' Disease or TED before? Why? Why? Why?So many questions, so many whys. But most of all WHY ME!And so this is why we need information. This is why we need awareness. This is why we must spread the word. And now I know why I am here today. Why I have this disease. It is to tell you my story and maybe you who are new to this disease can say. SOMEBODY cared enough to tell me what to expect. Somebody told me to relax and take a break from my Thyroid Disease.....Somebody told me I am not alone.

When we as men, move through our lives, we think and feel that all will be good as we look forward to the things we do and want to do. AS we move along we find someone to go along with us, in the form of a woman.A woman who will compliment who we are and what we want to do in life. If we could know how things would turn out in our future, we might do things different. But, we don't have the ability to know the future. Especially when it came to our woman/partner that we pick to be at our side. Behind you for the duration.My Elaine, I havae known her since she was three years old. Of course I didn't know at the time she would be the one to be by my side. When we got together she was a very pretty woman. What all men look for in a woman. She took me as i was, I wasn't wrapped to tight. We took care of each other, we were Happy. Things were not always good in all things. But, we got along.When your Lady uses language not appropriate for a women, in my point of view, and/or yours or any mans. When she starts fights with you for no apparent reason. When her physical appearance starts to change. Her good looks start to change. Then the visits to the doctor starts to become more frequent and more intense. You wonder what is happening in your life. Is there something that I am doing wrong????You find your life now is changing you. You can't focus on what needs to be taken care of to make sure that all is going well in your life. Your house, your business your social life all is affected. You find that smiles and laughter are starting to leave. You find that what ever is happening with your Lady is affecting your lives in a very drastic way and you try to find answers, but can't, because you don't know what is happening.WHAT IS HAPPENING????When you find out, one of the first things that comes to you is "WHAT THE HELL IS GRAVES'S DISEASE?????????"You need to do some studing, you need to find a way to understand your life will change.Living with Graves' Disease is NOT FUN!!!!!!!

For those of you new to Thyroid Disease, friends and family. I try to give you a look at somebody who has been there and give them hope. You can learn to live with this disease. I also try to make you smile. You will find many websites that tell a thyroid story. I think it is important that these stories be told. i know it helped me to read the stories of others with Graves' Disease and what they went through.Very rarely do you see anything from somebody that does not have Thyroid Disease. It is important for friends and family and even the patient themselves to see what the spouses, significant others, family and friends go through. My husband wrote an open letter to spouses of a person with Graves' Disease. A view from the other side of the coin. I think it is important to hear their side of living with Graves' Disease. Who could tell it better. I realize now that I was not an easy person to live with.When I was Hyperthyroid and had real bad mood swings I felt sorry for myself. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. Little did I realize I started the arguments most of the time. I got mad for the smallest thing. I was lucky enough to have a husband that would see the storm brewing most of the time and go for a walk or to the store. Any where to get out of the house and my line of fire. The funny thing is I really do do not know what I sounded like to my husbandI have been told people thought I was drunk or on drugs. Some thought I ws short tempered. Even friends might think this of you. Some will not even believe you are sick. They may think you complain , whine or just feel sorry for yourself. That you make things out of nothing. It is imperative that your family understands this disease, just as it is important for you to understand it. The more all of you understand the better off you will be.Talk to your family. Leet them know what is happening to you. You have a disease and all of you need to know what this disease is, what it will and can do to a person and their family. Some will understand, sadly some will not. Some will not even try. The sooner you accept that the better. Your health is what is important now, not the worry what somebody might think of you. You don't need that extra stress.It is not easy to live with a person with a Thyroid Disease. We can't stand ourselves sometimes. I remember how scared and isolated I felt when I was first diagnosed. I kept things to myself and tried to hide what I was going through. I didn't want anybody to think I was complaining. I did not want to seem weak. Looking back I went from a very confident person to a person afraid to leave the house. I decided i wanted my life back.

Elaine

I am the person that started the first coffee break. I Have had Graves' Disease for at least 10 years. I also have Thyroid Eye Disease. I give Thyroid Disease Support . My goal in life is to inform the public about Thyroid Disease.